House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-LA) handling of the year-end spending deal puts the gavel in uncertain territory ahead of a crucial Jan. 3 House vote. Some Republicans have questioned the Louisiana Republican Party's support for him. .
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., opposed Johnson on Wednesday over the spending deal and vowed to oppose him in the full House next month. A handful of other Republicans have also not said whether they will support Mr. Johnson next month, leaving the choice open amid mounting criticism of the House speaker.
Meanwhile, hardline House Republicans, who have engaged in gavel wars in the past, say increased chatter about a replacement for Speaker is raising serious doubts about Mr. Johnson's fate in the top job. states.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) said the debate over Johnson's replacement is “the most I've ever heard.”
Another House Republican tied Mr. Johnson's fate to the spending package being negotiated. “If this passes, the speaker will be in real trouble,” he said.
Even if Mr. Johnson abandons the bill, his handling of the situation could leave Republicans dissatisfied with his leadership.
President-elect Trump (whose past support for Johnson allowed him to be unanimously nominated as speaker of the House last month) and who recently swarmed with Republicans at the Capitol has consistently posted against the bill. Opposition to Elon Musk's spending deal, posted on , has intensified as the speaker tries to navigate the final legislative landmines of the 118th Congress.
The bill announced Tuesday night combines an extension of government funding until March 14 with a number of additional measures, including disaster relief for hurricane victims and farmers. A healthcare agreement that includes reform of the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry. Farm Bill Extension. Parliamentarians' salaries will also rise.
Amid the outcry, the Speaker is considering a “clean” continuing resolution as Plan B. Meanwhile, President Trump is pressing Prime Minister Johnson to include a debt ceiling increase in a “clean” Continuing Resolution (CR). But whether it can pass the House remains uncertain, and Democrats appear to be balking at new proposals even after securing victory with a negotiated package.
Johnson cannot afford to have multiple Republicans defect on the House floor in the Jan. 3 speaker election, assuming all members show up and vote. The number of Republicans is expected to be 219 as of January 3, and the seat of former Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) is expected to be vacant. All 215 Democrats will vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
Mr. Massey previously led an unsuccessful effort to oust Mr. Johnson with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in the spring, but appeared to soften his opposition to the House speaker earlier this month. It was. But the fiscal stimulus is fueling opposition to Mr Johnson.
“I'm not voting for him,” Massey said, “because of all the frustrations we had this summer when we tried to leave, and this bill.”
Other Republicans have indicated they may follow Massey's lead.
“I'm not making any promises yet, but I can tell you this: I'm very excited about what's been done, how it's been done, and why it's been done.” said Representative Andy Biggs (R). (Arizona) is one of eight Republicans who voted to expel former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in 2023.
But Mr Johnson's potential defectors are not limited to his usual hard-line conservative opponents. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Florida, said he was undecided whether to support Mr. Johnson before taking a dig at the House speaker's leadership, particularly on issues of government funding.
“He promised at a meeting a year ago that there would be no more CR governance, and we have ruled five times,” Steube said. “And 43 days after receiving the mandate from the American people, when the Republican Senate takes office in two weeks, are you going to work with Democrats to do something?”
All of this is setting the stage for another potentially long House battle. House Republicans needed 15 votes over a few days to elect Mr. McCarthy in 2023, but a revolt by a small group of Republicans ousted Mr. McCarthy and ultimately settled on Mr. Johnson.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson downplayed the risks at a press conference on Tuesday, saying he was “not worried” about getting the support needed to keep the gavel in place next year, adding: “I'm certainly hopeful.”[s] And a majority of the Republican conference is working to support CR.
“We govern. We all know we are in a difficult situation. We are doing the best we can under the circumstances,” Johnson said.
And on Wednesday, when asked about Musk's opposition, Johnson told Fox & Friends that the billionaire's next co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) understands the “impossible” position Musk is in. He said there was. The interview took place just before Musk published dozens of posts. X criticized the proposed CR.
One House Republican said the “obvious candidates” for speaker if Johnson loses support are House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and House Majority Whip Chairman Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota). Both bids were unsuccessful. He takes the top job after McCarthy was fired last year. Another obvious possibility is House Minority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana), the No. 2 Republican, who is also seeking the speakership in 2023, but lawmakers are His name did not surface on The Hill.
Ogles is Vote with his X accountAmong them were Mr. Emmer, Rep. Byron Donald (R-Florida), and Mr. Jordan as candidates for the House seat.
But Donald, who is likely to run for Florida governor, told The Hill he still supports Speaker Johnson. Mr Jordan also told reporters on Wednesday: “Mr Johnson will be chairman, but I'm not worried about that,” later adding: “I'm for Mike.” “Whip Emmer supports Speaker Johnson and is focused on doing the job he was elected to do,” a spokesperson for Emmer said.
And, a good sign for the chairman, he maintains some support from hard-line conservatives.
“I still support Speaker Johnson,” said Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. But, he added, “there is a growing number of voices inside and outside the Freedom Caucus shaking their heads in a way about what's going on this week.”
Ms. Harris helped negotiate a deal with Mr. Johnson and anti-disruption conservatives to raise the standard for instant votes to remove House members from one to nine, and in November, a voice vote among House Republicans called for Mr. Johnson to This ensured that he won the nomination for chairman.
Even if Mr. Johnson survives this hurdle, the revolt he faced over the spending deal is a harbinger of what the next Congress will bring: an even smaller Republican majority and more members. will not be able to maintain Congress after leaving for the Trump administration. They can afford to lose members on partisan votes.
And he would still have to deal with a resignation motion, which would still lead to Johnson's demise, even if it had a higher threshold.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), another lawmaker who helped oust Mr. McCarthy, said the spending deal “certainly influences how I think about my vote” for the House speaker. , noted consistent dissatisfaction with Louisiana's handling of spending issues. Over the last year.
“This is the same playbook I've seen from Chairman Johnson almost every time,” Crane said.
